Covenanter Witness Vol. 53 - Rparchives.org

saints"places."course."sun."strength."allow them the privilege of having apart in the offering which was to bedevoted to the relief of their fellowChristians in Jerusalem. Theirs waseager giving"beseechingus with muchentreaty in regard of this grace andthe fellowship in the ministering to the(verse 4). Theytheir means, and they gave,gave beyondnot out ofwealth, but out of penury and affliction(verses 2 and 3).Some questions for discussion:1. For what purpose was the "collection"used in the apostolic Church?2. Is it not out of keepingwith theScriptural ideal, that the greater portionof the "collection" today is spent forbuilding, upkeep, lights, heating, salaries,and scarcely a dollar is spent for benevolencethe ministry of mercy?3. Are bake sales, bazaars, church suppers and the like in harmony withScriptural principles of giving? Shouldwe not discourage and witness againstsuch commercializing of God's House?4. In what different ways does theapostle appeal to believers in the matter of giving in 2 Corinthians 8:7-9?5. In what ways do we grow asChristians through giving?6. In what ways does the Churchgrow through giving?7. Why is a giving Church a growingChurch?PRAYER MEETING TOPICAugust 25, 1954GREAT PROMISES IN ISAIAH: NewStength For the Weary.Isaiah 40: 28-31Comments by Rev. James D. CarsonPsalms:103:1-5, page 24384:3-4, page 20577:1-3, 8-10, page 185145:9-13, page 351References :Isaiah 41:10; Psalms 138:3; 147:11;84:7; 103:5; Isaiah 12:2; John 14:27;II Corinthians 12:9; Hebrews 11:33-34;Psalms 8:2.So often in the affairs of God's people,there comes the time when they utterlydespair of the goodness of God, andof His ability to help them in timesof trouble. This promise tonight is theantidote for such a feeling.Humanly speaking,there are oftenmany reasons for discouragement. Thetrue church seems to remain small.Other religious groups which teach afalse gospel seem to be growingdeceiving countless thousands of people.And in the more immediate circumstances of the work, We find many discouragements. The prophet Isaiah recognized the discouragements of God'sown people, and in these verses he gives76new comfort and strength to the people.Despite what may seem to be at times,our God has not forsaken us. "Hast thounot known? hast thou not heard, thatthe everlasting God, the Lord, thecreator of the ends of the earth, faintethnot, neither is weary? there is nosearching of hisunderstanding."In theverses preceding, the prophet asks hispeople to look into the heavens and consider there what they see. Who madethese marvelous things? Who hasnumbered the stars and named them?These are rhetorical questions theprophet does not need to answer them.The problems which surround us oftenloom so large in our experience thatwe fail to look past them to see theLord God.The promise is given to those whotrust in the Lord and who seek Hiswill. And this promise is found in theverses 29-31. "He giveth power to thefaint: and to them that have no mighthe increaseth strength. Even the youthsshall faint and be weary, and the youngmen shall utterly fall; but they that waitupon the Lord shall renew their strength;they shall mount upwith wings aseagles: they shall run, and not beweary; and they shall walk, and notfaint."The promise here is strength for theweary. The quality of young men beingcalled up for military service is testedon their physical stamina and strength;but even these specimens of humanstrength often fail in times of stress.But those who trust in the Lord shallgain new strength at the time whenthat strength is needed.In February, 1952, outside of Houston,Texas, there was an automobile crash.The driver was trapped in the cab ofthe truck. Gas spread around thewreckage and fire started. Officers,passing motorists, and a wrecker congregated, but theycould not wrenchthe door open. Then a giant Negro appeared, put his strength to the twistedmetal and freed the trapped man. As Irecall, this man had once been in a fire;and recalling that experience, terrorhad seized him, and he knew that hehad to free that man from the cabof his truck. Such strength is made possible apparently by the extra flow ofadrenalin through the body.However,"we wrestle not againstflesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulersof the darkness of this world, againstspiritual wickednessin highAnd just as the adrenalin of the humanbodyworks to give added strength inemergencies, so the Holy Spirit worksin us in times of stress in order thatwe might have added power. "He givethpower to the faint, and to them thathave no might he increasethAnd the further promise: "But theythat wait upon the Lord shall renewtheir strength;they shall mount upwith wings as eagles; they shall run,and not be weary; and they shall walk,and not faint." "Put forth wings runwalk! Is the order correct? .... It isa natural and a true climax, rising fromthe easier to the more difficult, fromthe ideal to the real, from dream toduty, from what can only be the rareoccasions of life to what must be life'susual and abiding experience. Historyfollowed this (George AdamSmith)Some months ago two articles appeared in The Sunday School Timeswith regard to the life of the eagle, andone article used this verse as the text.Many new and interesting things werelearned from those articles concerningthe life of the eagle. The following is aquotation from the writings of Mr.Seton Gordon, who made extensivestudies, found in The Sunday SchoolTimes: "Still upwards he sailed, andfor some time longer the watchingstalker kept him in view in the fieldof his glass. But at length he reachedthe point at which he was invisible, evenbyaid of a telescope. From that pointwhat a gorgeous panorama must havebeen laid out before his sight in thelight of summerIs not this that the Lord has promised? He has promised us the strengthto live in the heavenlies, if we will putforth on the promises of God.Discouragements will come, and because of the weakness of human nature,we become weak in faith, and, as Peter,we falter and begin to sink in the seaof life. It is then that we need to consider these promises, and to put ourtrust anew in the God who is neverweary, who never tires, and who isever willing and ready to forgive usour sins, and to give us new strengthfor each new day.If you face discouragements, and ifyou are weary of this life with its burdens, learn this verse and ponder itsmessage and "wait upon the Lord."Prayer Suggestions:1. Strength for missionaries, wholabor under very tryingsituations.and difficult2. Strength for our congregationswhichoften face discouragements ofone kind and another.3. Strength for members who may bediscouraged and disheartened.4. For each one of us, that we may beable to tap the resources of God'spower.THE COVENANTER WITNESS